Automatic inker for mail-marking machines



Jan- 41927' J. A. MITCHELL ET AL AUTOMATIC INKER FOR MAIL MARKING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1924 Q muummy mm a K MIIIIIll/I .mllll m:

INVE P JOHN A. MITCHELL BY LAWRE L ZL I ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

EJNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MITCHELL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AND LAWRENCE J. ZAHN, OF LONG ISLAND, CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SUPPLY COM- PANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC INKER FOR MAIL-MARKING MACHINES.

Application filed November 7, 1924.

The present invention relates to improvements in the printing devices used in con nection with a mail marking machine, such as that shown and described in Patent 856,- 345 issued June 11, 1907 to F. G. Jahn. In this prior art structure, the printing die is inked on each rotation thereof by a felt roller adapted to turn on a pivot pin carried on the end of an adjustable bar. In this prior art device, the felt inking pad must be taken off and inked by a hand operation of rolling the circular pad in a pan of ink.

It is obvious that this arrangement is open to many object-ions, and it is therefore, the principal object of our invention to improve the details relating to an inking device of this character by making same automatic. Our improvement will be readily understood by reference to the attached drawing taken in connection with .the specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional view through the inking device.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the complete inker without the mounting.

Figure 3 is a view of one of the parts which carries the absorption roller.

Figure 4 is a View of the support member, while Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a mail marking machine, the same as shown in said J ahn patent, but with parts removed to show the inker in place.

.In the drawings, 1 illustrates a table of the mail marking machine. Carried on the table, and operated by suitable mechanism which is usually carried below the table, are two separator rollers 2 and 3; roller 3, being provided with an adjusting device 4, so as tosecure the proper separation of the rollers for feeding the mail matter. A trip feed roller 5 with its coacting roller 6, serves to pass the mail forward to the printing die 7 in connection, with which is used a die pressure roller 8. The trip mechanism is generally referred to by No. 9. p

No further description of the parts, just mentioned, will be necessary as they form no part of our present invention, but their functions may be readily understood by reference to said Jahn patent.

Carried in a slide member 10 is a bar 11 which may be clamped in any fixed position as by a clamp nut 12. On the end of the Serial No. 748,372.

member 18 has an annular flange 21 similar to.

the flange 16 on the member 14. Between the flanges 21 and 16 an absorption wiper roller 22 is held securely in position. This roller is preferably made of felt. lVithin the inner wall of the member 18, is placed a fine screen 'which, from Fig. 1, will be seen to cover the perforations 19 and this acts as a regulator for the amount of ink which passes through the absorption roller 22. The screen 23 is 7 held in position in a satisfactory manner, one of such being shown in the form of aspring 24 which presses the screen firmly against the inner wall of the member 18. As will be clearly'seen inFig. 3, the member 18 has a stem 25 of smaller diameter than the body part of the member. Over the stem 25, is adapted to be placed, a cap 26 which is held in position by lock 27, so that the cap 26 may be readily moved for filling the inkwell formed by the member 14 and the member 18 in connection with the members 22 and 23. In a device of this kind it is preferable to use rather thick ink, but this is controlled to some extent by the nature of the screen used within the ink-well.

While we have shown the preferred form of applying our invention in practice, it is obvious that the details may be varied without departing from the spirit of our invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, an adjustable member having a bearing stud attached thereto, a member having a hollow spindle to fit over said stud, said member having a flange and a threaded rim, a perforated member threaded onto said rim, a screen within said perforated member, a wiper roller fitting over said perforated member and a cap for closing the top of said perforated member.

2. In a device of the class described, an adjustable member having a bearing stud attached thereto, a member having a hollow spindle to fit over said stud, said member having a flange and a threaded rim, a cvlindrica-lly shaped member of two diameters, that part of the larger diameter being perforated and having its outer end threaded to fit said rim, ascreen positioned within said perforated portion, an absorption Wiper roller fitting over said perforated portion and a cap fitting over the part of smaller diameter.

3. In a device of the class described a member carrying a bearing support, another member having a part fitting said support for rotary movement thereon, a perforated member fitted to said second member forming an ink well, and having a cap stem, a screen held in position within said well over the perforations, an absorption roller fitting over the outer surface of the perforated member and a cap for closing the opening in the top of the cap stem. 7

4. In a device of the class described, a member carrying a bearing support, another member having a part fitting said support for rotary movement thereon, a perforated member fitted to said second member forming an ink well and having a cap stem, an absorption Wiper roller fitting over the outer surface of the perforated member, means held in position Within said perforated member for regulating the amount of ink passing to the absorption roller and a filling cap fitting said stem.

5. In a device of the class described, :1

member having a bearing support, another member having a hollow spindle to fit said support, said member having a flange and an annular rim, a perforated member fitted to said rim forming an ink well, said perforated member also having a flange similar to the flange on the second mentioned member, an absorption Wiper roller positioned over said perforated member and between said two flanges, a device within the ink well for controlling the feed of ink through said perforations and a filler cap for said well.

6. An automatic inker for a machine of the class d bed, comprising a single cylindrical per orated member having a rotaiii table support forming with said member an ink well, an absorption wiper roller carried over the perforations in said member, a screening device within the well normally non-adjustably positioned over the perforations and a filler cap for the well.

7. An automatic inker for a machine of the class described, comprising a rotatable ink well having an absorption roller 1nount ed on the outer surface of the well with means comprising a fine mesh screen for permitting feeding the ink from the well to the roller, means for permitting filling the well and means for adjusting the position of the well and roller with respect to a die head.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signae tures.

JOHN A. MITCHELL. LAIVRENCE J. ZAHN. 

